Rosemary Liu
Name: Rosemary Liu
Year: 3rd
Hometown: Not quite sure – I’ve lived in quite a few places: the US, Japan, Shanghai
Major: College of Arts and Sciences: Economics and Psychology
If I could give one piece of advice to incoming international students!
If you could just find your “one thing” that makes you happy at UVA, a lot of other things fall into place. Now, this “one thing” could be a class that you look forward to, or an activity that you absolutely love, or a club whose members you really like, or your niche of friends – anything, really. So explore a lot, especially your first year – don’t be afraid to meet new people and try new things.
Also, remember, this is college. Enjoy yourself. I suppose for some that could mean partying it up over the weekends, but don’t forget the little things too. Go grab ice cream with your roommates at 2am in the morning. Stay up late and watch that extra episode of your favorite show with your friend. It also really helps to get to know the students you in your hall/ suite, too – after all, you are living with them. The girls I lived with my first year definitely made a huge difference in my UVA experience. They became my family, and it’s hard for things to go wrong when you have a family here by your side.
What class do you think is a “must take” for any UVA student and why?
ECON 201 (Introductory Microeconomics) with Professor Elzinga, PSYC 101 (Introduction to Psychology) with Professor Haidt, and COMM 341 (Commercial Law I) with Professor Wheeler are amazing classes. If you have room in your schedule, I would recommend that you take them, regardless of your major. All three courses provide extremely interesting and practical, real life knowledge. They entail material that, in my opinion, everyone should have some basic understanding of. Best of all, these three professors are some of the best professors and lecturers in America. They are renowned in their fields, incredibly smart, and wonderfully personable. They truly care about their students. I think I have enjoyed every single class with these professors – they certainly have a talent for lecturing, and it’s amazing to watch them perform.
In general, any class with a beloved professor is a sure bet. Students write evaluations of their professors and their classes at the end of every semester. I would definitely check out these websites to see which courses are worthwhile:
www.virginia.edu/cod
www.ratemyprofessor.com
www.thecourseforum.com
http://web.virginia.edu/epap
A resource that was very helpful to me here was…
Other students. Word of the mouth information is crucial. Everyone is learning, everyone is experiencing new things. Don’t be afraid to ask others. Talk to older students!
The best place to grab food:
Charlottesville offers so many dining options! There is a fairly wide variety, both in price range and in type of cuisine. If you want unhealthy but absolutely addicting fake Chinese food, order delivery from Yuan Ho. If you want an upper-scale dinner, Charlottesville has quite a few nice restaurants too. Some popular places UVA students enjoy include:
- Take it Away (amazing sandwiches – try the house dressing!)
- Christian’s Pizza (downtown mall)
- Marco and Luca’s (aka ”The Dumpling Place“ – cheap and delicious!)
- Ivy Inn (fine American cuisine)
- Mas Tapas (Spanish tapas)
- And so many more… for a more complete listing of restaurants, try:
http://www.charlottesvilletourism.org/diningIndex.php
A Few Last Tips:
- When selecting courses, don’t stress too much if the courses you want to take appear to be full. Make sure you email the professors early, get on their waitlist if there is one, and attend the first lecture. I have found many professors to be extremely accommodating in letting students in.
- Buy a phone card so you can call home! Also, get a cell phone as soon as possible. It’s pretty much a necessity.
- The International Students Affairs Committee provides rides to Dulles International Airport right before the major breaks (Thanksgiving, winter break, spring break). Keep your eyes posted for their announcements around Grounds right before these holidays. (Their email is: isac.uva@gmail.com, but I wouldn’t email them unless you are RSVPing to a specific ride or have really pressing questions.)
- Put some cash on your Cavalier Advantage card so that you don’t need to pull out change for snacks or laundry. If you have extra left over at the end of the semester, it rolls over to the next one, so you don’t have to worry.
- Some fun things to try:
- grab gelato at Splendora’s on the Downtown Mall
- try Arch’s frozen yogurt on the Corner
- go to dorm sings
- go apple picking at Carter Mountain
- attend Lighting of the Lawn in late November/ early December
